chromatic

Meanings

1. 1
   adj

   relating to color or to differences in color

   The artist used a rich chromatic range of reds, greens, and golds.

2. 2
   adj

   using notes outside the prevailing diatonic scale, especially successive semitones

   The melody rises through a tense chromatic passage before resolving.

3. 3
   adj

   relating to the separation or focusing of different wavelengths of light

   The lens coating reduces chromatic distortion around bright objects.

Via French chromatique and Latin chromaticus from Ancient Greek khromatikos ("relating to color; chromatic in music"), from khroma ("color"). The musical sense already existed in Greek theory and refers to intervals understood through a color metaphor.

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